AUTHOR'S NOTE!
So, as some of you may have noticed I've been MIA due to a nasty computer virus.
Well, now that it's gone and I'm finally writing again my fanficing is a bit rusty, so I saw a list of caryl drabble suggestions on Tumblr and I am going to see how many short but sweet one shots I can post tonight in the name of practice.
They will all be unbetaed and warnings/ratings will vary, please review to tell me if I'm doing alright or if I suck now and should go cry in a corner for shaming caryl.
Anyways, here's the first one, prompt: solace. Takes place when Daryl finds Carol hiding in the cell, enjoy and GIMME FEEDBACK!
Srsly, I need it.
Keep me safe.
Inside your arms, like towers.
Tower over me.
We Are Broken- Paramore
At first she thought she was imagining him, imagining him looking at her like he'd found some sort of holy grail, shock and relief flowing over his face.
It had been so long since she'd eaten, had even a drop of water to cool the burning in her lungs.
Her bones ached, muscles screamed, lungs burnt away to nothing from all the running, never having a second to breathe.
She had run for so long, but they were still always there, chasing, hungering for her flesh.
Tapping that cell door had taken what little she had left, it was bound to get to her eventually, tricking her mind into conjuring up images that simply weren't there.
Then his hand had brushed against her face, cautiously, calloused hands against her jaw as if to ask "Are you real?" and her resolve faltered because only Daryl could carry himself this way, fierce yet unsure, hesitant. He'd found her.
Her eyes met his then and being the only confirmation he'd needed, he leaned down, determination bright in his gaze, in the way his brow wrinkled in concentration. Everything about his stance promised that it was okay now, she didn't have to run anymore, he would carry her through.
Arms slipping around her carefully, cradling her against him, hoisting her up and carrying her through, like always.
Memories, albeit cloudy ones, flooded her then, memories of him carrying her through so much. Memories of his search for Sophia, his single minded dedication to the cause, memories of how her protected her during the early weeks after the farm fell, how he help her gather strength, learn to survive.
Memories of when her beautiful baby girl had stumbled out of that god forsaken barn and she had ran towards her, fully intending to let it all end.
The memory of Daryl's arms around her waist holding her back, keeping her from throwing herself to oblivion.
Daryl's rough, strong, scarred, damaged, caring arms keeping her alive.
"Thank...you..For... finding me," she mumbled, meaning not only this moment, but how he gave her the tools, let her find herself.
"I'm always gonna find ya," he promised in a low whisper. "No matter if ya want me t' or not."
With those words and the knowledge that Daryl always kept his promises, she laid her head against his shoulder and breathed in his dirty scent and the safety it offered, before allowing herself to finally drift to sleep.